Cryptic Van Gogh
by Artistic Logic
Summary: AU: Ian, an art thief, is released from prison to help the FBI team find a stolen Van Gogh. But when their top suspect is found dead with a bizarre note on his chest, they realize that maybe their case is more than meets the eye.
1. A Taste of Freedom

**Disclaimed.**

Before you begin reading, have in mind that the clue hunt never happened. It _is_ mentioned in this story, but the characters introduced in this chap. are not aware of its existence. Enjoy your read! :)

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The cell doors opened, and out came two police officers. Each of them held a mischievous-looking prisoner from the arm. As the three walked down the grey hallways, imprisoned men began to protest, demanding to be let out too. And even though they disgusted the newly freed twenty-three-year-old, he couldn't help but smirk. A smirk that all of you know very well.

The famous Ian Kabra smirk.

"Your time here is up, Van Gogh," one of the police officers, Danny, said.

Ian's smirk grew. One of the things he'd miss the least (if he'd even miss anything at all) was his nickname, Van Gogh. Since he'd been sentenced to twenty years of prison because of art theft and illegal art trafficking across the United States, the nickname was predictable.

"So. When am I getting out of this orange…" Ian glanced down at his jumpsuit, his handsome face distorted with disgust. "Thing."

"Soon," the other officer, Jenkins, answered.

Danny grinned. "We first have to determine if you _will_ get out of prison, though."

Ian glanced at him, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Didn't you just say that my time here was up?"

"It will be, depending on the task the Art Crime Team will give you," Jenkins informed.

"And let's not forget the way you'll participate in it," Danny added, his blue eyes glinting with mirth. "You will be graded on that, too."

Jenkins shook his head. "Better not get your hopes up. You might just be walking right back to your cell this afternoon."

Danny's smile grew. "He's exaggerating, Ian. What he's trying to say is that you might not be released, but just given a year's break or a reduced sentence. Who knows? Maybe we'll see you next year!"

"Oh, I hope so. He's got such a great attitude, after all. He made our job even more pleasant than before!"

"Don't get so excited, now, Jenkins. Remember, he's got enough money to bail himself out."

"But didn't he get disowned?"

The policemen laughed as if they'd said the funniest thing ever. Ian simply gave them his deadliest look –one that he'd been giving them the entire time.

"Well, at least I won't be stuck socializing with criminal hobos while wearing a disgusting khaki shade of uniform for my entire life," he spat. "If I'm not out now, I'll be out in twenty years, you Neanderthals."

The two friends' annoying cackles just got even louder.

"Thanks for bringing him. I'll take it from here," a clear voice said behind them.

The three turned around, just to find a sweet-looking FBI agent in her early twenties.

"Of course, miss," Jenkins answered, suddenly turning serious.

The woman gave them a curt nod before taking Ian away.

Once they were a few steps ahead, Ian glanced at the auburn-haired girl next to him. "You haven't changed a bit, Amy."

Amy remained emotionless, to which Ian just replied with a chuckle.

"Guess that teacher of yours has finally taught you how to ignore the accused. I must congratulate Ned. It must've been hard with such a nice girl like you," Ian continued.

Amy still remained quiet.

Ian sighed. "Could you at least tell me where we are going?"

"Somewhere private," Amy answered. "We need to discuss things with the team."

Ian raised his eyebrows. "The team? So you're not an apprentice, anymore, huh? That's amazing, Ms. Cahill. Especially since that means boring Ned has probably retired by now."

Ian watched with great interest as Amy's emotionless face turned to a cold one. Ian wanted to laugh out loud. Just by calling the Starling "boring", Amy already wanted to go all defensive on him. Ian shook his head, chuckling.

"What?" Amy asked, inspecting him with curiosity.

"Nothing," Ian told her nonchalantly. "It's just that you haven't gotten over your crush on Ned, that's all."

"I don't have a crush on my leader!" Amy exclaimed. But her red shade contradicted her words. She shook her head, looking away.

Ian remained silent, smiling to himself. Amy had been an apprentice when Ned and Hamilton Holt, two art specialists on the FBI team, had prosecuted him. She'd follow the pair around as they investigated Ian, and it couldn't escape his eyes the way she acted around Ned –even nerdier and more shy***** than usual. Ian stole one last look at Amy, who was still slightly pink. Even though she was one of the reasons he'd been sentenced prison-time, she was fun to annoy. In other words, she wasn't so bad to be around with.

Amy opened a grey door, and Ian groaned as he heard Hamilton's loud voice talking about some stupid training sessions. Once Ian was inside, Hamilton and Ned turned to look at them.

Ian pursed his lips. "I had hope that you'd retired, Ned."

Ned smiled, already used to Ian's crude ways. "At twenty-five, I don't think I'll be leaving soon. Thanks for bringing him here, Amy."

"No problem," Amy said with a smile as she sat down between Ned and Hamilton.

"So you're not such a quiet mouse who blushes whenever someone looks their way, anymore," Ian noted, addressing Amy.

Hamilton frowned. "Watch your mouth, Kabra. Even the simplest things as that might ruin your chances of getting out of here."

Ian wanted to snap at Hamilton, but remained silent. He wasn't such a fan of the muscled Holt and his reactions when someone angered him.

Ned pushed a document over to Ian. "Alright team, let's not waste more time and go straight to the point. One of Jonah Wizard's paintings has been stolen."

Ian raised an eyebrow. "The rapper kid?"

"The one and only," Ned affirmed. "He's contacted the FBI and asked for it to be found as soon as possible. He didn't specify why it was so important, but-"

"He offered an amount of money that you couldn't deny," Ian cut in.

Hamilton shot a warning glance at Ian, who tried not to look affected in the slightest way.

Ned cleared his throat. "Anyways, we know that you've got contacts with Leo DiPaulo. We haven't been able to catch him yet, but he is one of the best art thefts around. That fact led us to the conclusion that you know him –and we're pretty sure he's our robber."

Ian nodded, an expectant look on his face. "So if you know it's him, why need me?"

"Things are not as simple as that," Ned explained. "We need a motive, the painting itself, and more proof to other robberies. So to arrest him as soon as possible, we'll be heading to Florence tomorrow before he leaves to London for some business. To do so, we need you and Amy to pretend to be a soon-to-be-wed couple, befriend DiPaulo, get him to invite you to his farewell party, and get us what we want."

Ian nodded. His gaze shifted toward Amy, with a smile that oozed with mischievousness. "So this green-eyed wonder will be my lovely fiancé?"

Amy looked away.

"Your _pretend_ fiancé," Ned clarified.

"Interesting reply," Ian murmured, rubbing his chin.

Hamilton snorted. "If she did end up marrying Cobra, I'd make sure that he wouldn't make it to the altar in one piece."

Ned tried not to smile, looking down.

Ian, displeased with the comment, narrowed his eyes. "If I get points off for my behavior, then Barrel of Muscles here should, too."

Hamilton was about to answer, when Ned cut him off.

"Deal."

Ian smiled as Hamilton began to protest.

"He's the only one who should be monitored!" Hamilton exclaimed.

Ned pressed his lips. "Sorry, Hammer. But we want him to cooperate."

Hamilton murmured something unintelligible, crossing his buff arms across his chest. Ian tried to ignore his glare.

Ned glanced at Amy, who had a pensive look on her face. "You're too quiet, Amy. Anything you don't agree on?"

"Nah, she's just realizing how fortunate she is to be able to pretend to be my fiancé," Ian joked.

Amy raised her eyebrows. "Actually, I'm trying to figure out ways to act happily around you so it seems realistic."

Ned frowned. "You _are_ okay with this, right?"

"Of course. It's just for a day or two, after all," Amy replied.

"Alright, then. Guys, remember that Ian will be a temporal addition to the team. Be nice," Ned instructed. "Ian, your belongings are in the front office. You should thank Amy and your sister for moving them out of your family's mansion and into a storage room."

Ian smiled at Amy. "Thank you, dear."

Amy tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, giving him a small smile. "Your sister did most of the work." Her smile disappeared. "And, please, don't call me dear or any other name that's not Amy."

Ian nodded. "I will if you tell me whether I'm getting out of this prison or not."

Amy shook her head. "Sorry, we won't be able to tell you until a few days."

Hamilton stood up, grinning wickedly. "Never mind that. You have to change your clothes and gather your belongings."

Ian breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God! I hated this orange suite. Amy, please take me to my changing room."

"No, not Amy," Hamilton said. "I will."

Ian's amber eyes slightly widened.

"We do need time to become 'friends', after all."

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*****Is it 'shyer' or 'more shy'? I wrote 'more shy', but I'm not sure if that's the correct way of writing it.

Anyways, thanks for reading! Remember: Constructive criticism is like chocolate for me ;)


	2. A Message from Our Killer

"I clearly did not expect this," Ian murmured, a blank look on his face.

Amy, who wore a lovely deep blue dress, had a horror-stricken expression. Her eyes were wide and her skin had visibly paled. She quickly regained her composure, though, and rapidly walked over to the body laid on the floor.

Leo DiPaulo's body.

"C-call Ned and Hamilton," she instructed, getting out a pair of plastic gloves from her crystal-studded clutch –a gift from Ian, who said that it was a thank you present for Amy when she saved him from Hamilton's fists the night before. And even though that might've been the reason behind the gift, it was mostly to gain her trust and possibly his ticket out of jail.

Ian noticed Amy's hands were shaking as she grabbed a note from DiPaulo's chest, revealing a fatal wound caused by a bullet. A light feeling of worry came over him as he glanced around the suite, weighing on the possibility of the killer still being around.

"You go call them," Ian told her, walking over to DiPaulo. He winced once his pale face came into view. DiPaulo had been like an uncle to him. Kneeling down, he tried not to show the sad feeling that was suddenly arousing on him. "I'll stay here."

Amy, noticing that Ian wasn't really in the mood to be contradicted, sighed. "Fine, but _don't_ touch anything. I'll be right back."

Ian didn't glance back as Amy pronounced those words.

Amy, biting her lower lip, looked down. "I'm sorry, Ian."

And without waiting for a response, quickly left to look for her partners.

Ian ran a hand through his hair, inspecting DiPaulo. Just three hours ago, they were happily chatting about their best painting robberies. People could say that DiPaulo was Ian's first step into his unpleasant hobby. That, and his father's instructions on how to gain a fortune as big as his. Ian pondered over the possibility of personally telling his father about DiPaulo's death. They had been friends, after all. But knowing Vikram, he'd probably hang up once he heard Ian's voice. He'd made that clear when he kicked him out of the Kabra estate and disowned him.

Ian's eyes narrowed bitterly. When his dad had heard the news of Ian's arrest a year ago, you'd expect him to be worried or mad at the authorities. But he wasn't, instead, he was extremely disappointed. Not because of Ian's hobby of stealing, but because he'd been caught. Ian wasn't surprised, though. The only people who had ever been like family to him were Natalie and DiPaulo –who was now dead.

Ian took out a pair of plastic gloves. After putting them on, he reached out and closed DiPaulo's grey eyes, which were once filled with a mischievous but serene glint. Now, they were lifeless.

"Goodbye, Leo," Ian murmured, looking at his friend for what would be the last time.

The door to the hotel opened. Ian snatched his arm away, not wanting to be caught in a sentimental act.

"Ian, are you okay?" Ned Starling's voice echoed in the hotel's suite.

Ian stood up, nodding solemnly.

Ned gave him a pitying look before glancing around the luxurious suite. His eyes stopped once he spotted something grey moving. Ian instantly recognized and was not able to stop the smile on his face. It was Saladin, DiPaulo's Egyptian Mau. Even though Ian loathed the cat, DiPaulo adored it and took it everywhere he went.

The cat meowed before revealing himself from his hiding spot.

Ned raised an eyebrow. "Uh… Hamilton, could you please grab the cat?"

Hamilton shook his head. "What if he bites?"

Ian smirked, trying to shake off his despairing feeling. "I don't think it would affect you in any way, Mr. Muscles."

For once, Hamilton didn't snap at Ian and, grudgingly, grabbed the cat. Once they were on their way out, Saladin hissed as he spotted Ian.

Hamilton grinned. "We've got something in common, buddy."

Ian rolled his eyes, suddenly remembering the note found on DiPaulo. "Amy, where's the-"

"Note?" Ned held up a folded paper in front of him. "Strange message, I might add. But since you were his friend and all, maybe you know what it is about?"

Ian grabbed it, feeling slightly curious. Opening it, he began reading out loud. "Once again showing you how superior we are compared to you, Janus."

Ian frowned. _Janus?_ He began racking his brain for any mentions of the word, but found none. One thing he prided himself about was his ability to remember every single detail, so it was impossible that something would slip his mind.

"Maybe some kind of nickname," Amy suggested.

Ian slowly shook his head. "I was one of the closest to him… never heard of such a name. And if I might say, a _ridiculous_ name. Janus! Sounds like some distorted way of saying Jane. I bet all of the-"

"That's it," Amy said, her face full of realization. "Maybe the note wasn't addressed to him or anything of the sort. But to one of his friends nicknamed that way!"

Ian's mood darkened even more. "Jane Rivers."

"Huh?"

"Jane Rivers," Ian repeated. He looked up at Amy and Ned. "She… she was about to become Leo's second wife. Her daughter, Sinead, and I introduced them."

Amy closed her eyes, sighing.

"I'll contact her as soon as possible," Ned nodded. He paused before continuing. "I've got to tell the party guests the bad news. But well done, you two. Hopefully, you feel better soon, Ian."

And with a curt nod, he left the room.

Amy lingered in the room, looking as if she was debating what to say.

Ian, trying to lighten up the mood, motioned at her dress. "I'm glad I chose that one. It doesn't look bad on you."

Amy glanced down at the one-shoulder gown, as if realizing she had it on for the first time. "Thanks."

Ian shrugged.

Amy looked up, trying to smile. "Hopefully, it wasn't too expensive."

"Ah, doesn't matter. You didn't even get to flaunt it," Ian replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I'm not the flaunting kind," Amy informed him, slightly laughing.

"I'd already figured it out a long time ago," Ian breathed out, pursing his lips.

Amy nodded, then remembered something. "By the way, does DiPaulo have –or, well, _had_ any relatives?"

Ian nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "A son. However, that's one of the things we had in common –my father hates me just like his son hates him. However, I'm not sure if he'll still hate him now. That idiot didn't realize what he had until it became too late. I'd kill to have a father like DiPaulo."

Amy sighed, looking away. After a few seconds, she looked back at the mourning boy. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure you won't be going back to prison soon. I mean, you did betray your best friend-"

Amy stopped abruptly, realizing what she'd just said. She looked at him apologetically.

Ian shrugged, not really bothered by Amy's words. "I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't been sure he could've escaped prison the minute they locked him there."

Amy gave him a small smile. She looked out the hallways, sighing. "I should go find Ned. I need to ask him what's next."

Ian smirked, a mischievous glint replacing his unhappy look. "Be honest. You want to be around him while wearing that dress."

Amy's smile disappeared. "Be sure to stay here until the forensics arrive. Good night, Ian."

Ian couldn't help but laugh as Amy stomped away, red-faced.

He turned around, examining the dark blue suite. Trying to avoid looking at DiPaulo's body, his gaze shifted to the wooden floor. He didn't need any distraction, though. Something on the table by the entrance caught his eye.

He quickly grabbed the note and inspected the message. He cursed under his breath, since it wasn't handwritten. His eyes traveled to the top of the page, where a weird symbol was drawn. It was a dragon, spitting fire from his long mouth with its wings wide open. It was white, contrasting with the yellow color on the symbol's background. And right underneath the dragon, a word was printed on it.

_Ekaterina._

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**A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews! They made my day :) And even though I do like to keep my notes short, I do feel the need to answer some reviews:

**taeyeonfan:** sorry about that. What I meant to say was that he'd been sentenced to twenty years. But as I said in this chapter, he's only been arrested for one.

**addicted2reading9:** The main characters aren't part of the clue hunt... I hope this chapter helped you understand what I meant before about mentioning the clue hunt. Also, I got the idea of them being in the FBI after reading in the real FBI's site about their Art Crime Team. I thought it'd be cool to write a story about that :)

To the other reviews: thank you so, so much! I'm _very_ happy with all the CC I got :D Also, I think it's important to say that my update times will vary, depending on my homework.

Once again, thanks! Peace :3


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